FIFA 16 Will Feature Women Athletes On Cover Art For The First Time

FIFA 16 is taking a new turn by putting female athletes on the cover of the game for the first time. It was already previously revealed that 16 women’s football teams would be featured, although players would not be able to play them against male teams.

The announcement comes very shortly after the Women’s World Cup, which saw the American team claim the victory. As part of this, Alex Morgan will share the cover art with Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi. Other regions will replace Morgan with local women football players, with the Canadian cover featuring Christine Sinclair. Not every country will have their own localised art, and it is likely that Malaysia will end up with the US version.

Speculation begun last month during the Women’s World Cup that FIFA 16 would feature women on the cover, which is a rarity on sports titles. Electronics Arts claims that the decision to use Morgan and Sinclair on the cover before the World Cup, and the timing was just a matter of convenience.

FIFA 16 will be released on 22 September for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.